A planned new liquor store in Flatts will not attract "the wrong element'' according to the company's boss.

Burrows Lightbourn managing director Richard Hartley said that, in a bid to attract a more upmarket clientele, the new store would not be selling individual cans of beer to be consumed in the street.

Mr. Hartley gave his reassurances after a community action group said it would be launching a campaign to stop the new store going ahead.

Although the company had a liquor store in the village, it was forced to shut down last week when the premises was bought out by a new owner.

An alternative location has been found for a new store on North Shore but the company has to apply to a licensing committee to get its licence transferred.

Earlier this week the Flatts Village Development Committee urged residents to object to the new store, arguing that it attracted drunks and created litter.

Hartley said he recognised residents' concerns but added that the new store would not attract the same clientele.

And he said that a similar problem that affected the company's Harbour Road store disappeared when the company stopped selling cold beers.

"Our East Broadway store had fallen into a state of disrepair and we had characters coming in and then getting intoxicated,'' Mr. Hartley said.

"We closed it up and then renovated it and stopped selling single cold beers and that put a stop to it. We now have a shop that we're proud of and the business has really changed.'' Mr. Hartley added that, although the new store would be selling beers in six packs and crates, it would be focusing mainly on wines.

"We certainly don't want people to think that we're just going to shift the Flatts store up the road and allow the same thing to happen again.

"Beer is a huge part of our business but we won't be selling single beers and that's when you get the problem.'' The application will go before the licensing committee on April 1.

"I just hope that people give us a chance to show what we want to do,'' Mr.

Hartley said. "We are responsible corporate citizens and we don't want to offend anyone. We respect people's views and we understand their concern.''